Intertextuality in the 21st Century

The Ad to the left is an example of what I feel is consumerist oriented culture gone awry. The image presents a woman as a passive object, or an accessory, much like the anorexic females in GAP clothing commercials which disgust me. The Ads appeal to me as a society in the dark ages; while many seem to ignore what it means to express an idea and its implications. This doesn't make me want to buy anything, it only disgusts me and draws attention to a powerlessness that I feel when I see these Ads. I tune them out, I stop buying the clothing they sell, and I get tired of seeing the same image everywhere. This is not a co-created text, and in fact I wouldn't call it a true text, who-ever made it wasn't taking into account all sides of the interpretation. This is not a genuine text, because it does not take into account the conscious actors in its medium of expression.

A text is any medium of communication that is read; when we read a text, we can use any of our senses or perceptions, and they are not limited to sight. This is why a text is not just an object such as a book, but it can also be a message such as propagandized news. The text has a basic value which is intended to be perceived; this value or message is spread through various mediums of technology in order to garner support for a politician, attain profit for a market, or increase public awareness without a profit incentive, etc. The value of a text is co-created and co-interpreted by the public. The public masses act as co-creators by the very act of being conscious actors in society. As conscious beings, we interpret various forms of media in ways that appeal to our personal, and interpersonal values. Media objects act as texts when we read them and interpret them for what they represent to us.

Intertextuality can be thought of as the on-going dialogue between various texts, and the way these texts influence each other in the grand scheme. People who act within the social paradigm within various cultures, are bombarded with inescapable texts. News on Fox is more-so entertainment than actual non-biased news. AOL is another medium of entertainment and gossip, rather than free news that keeps the art of journalism more-so in mind than the art of consumerism and entertainment. Real news is harder to find in this age when technology and markets are so readily available and able to swallow up genuine journalists to pay them to create stuff solely for television. You could compare real news to home-made bread and the mass produced news to generic tasteless bread made for your toaster/television.

One argument says that commercials appeal to our subconscious even when we tune it out, although I feel that if you consciously choose to ignore certain commercials you still will not find them appealing. I feel that commercials should take into account aesthetics more-so than humor; the creators should stop making them annoying because people really don't like them. If you compare a communication text to a piece of fine art, the same rules apply when being mass marketed. Art without value is generic and based more on popularity and a name-sake than aesthetics, emotional appeal, and setting itself apart. True art shakes the generic foundation by speaking a message that appeals to a sense of justice or personal flavor. This can be the sense of self-expression for its own sake, or it can be upfront about an idea that you never thought of.

Real texts express what the artist or the marketer intended, which is to express an idea and influence someone in such a way that does not make them feel compelled to do something without context. By real, I mean genuine. Genuine art and genuine texts appeal to the human individual, not themselves. Texts are an important aspect of daily life, whether though news or culture oriented propaganda, texts are an integral aspect of humanity and how we communicate our ideas to each other. Intertextuality is ever-evolving, just as the memes of culture are ever-changing and evolving to satisfy our needs. With more conscious co-creators in the ever-changing industry and market, there will be more room for improvement in what we see as media, and more texts that relate to the human and not just to the image itself. This is what I envision for a better and more aware culture.

Electronic Journalism

"Mass communication is generally identified with these modern mass media. The media creates a link between the communicator and the mass audience. To understand the nature, ingredients and the effects of mass communication following adjectives have been used: Instantaneous, Multi sensual, Impact, Masses, Sponsors, Attention grabbing, Rapidity, Heterogeneity, Newsworthy, Public opinion, Public interest, Dramatic, etc. Mass audience tends to be diverse and heterogeneous, and therefore in planning a mass media communication, one first has to define the target audience and then select a medium that can reach most of them as frequently as possible for the least investment" 


A Good Site is The Society of Professional Journalists: http://www.spj.org/


In researching different jobs available for mass communications students, I've realized that Electronic Journalism is one career path that appeals to me greatly. Working on the field, producing or researching for web news, and traveling are areas that are inspiring to me. Electronic journalism encompasses radio, television, and web media for the masses. You can specialize in entertainment; for instance I could document an adventure to a foreign place (travel diary or documentary). Or I could specialize in researching and producing media related information for current events. I would like to travel, and have a crew and equipment to help me. I would like to help direct and produce in the long-term as a goal. For now, I could be helping out on equipment, organization and editing, and scheduling, etc. There are so many possibilities. Having people hear my voice would be a great reward as well. I would love to do video-journalism more than anything, and I feel that I am on my way to that career. Yet, I need to get some more hands-on work in video related work.

The Growing Feild of Videography: Comm 203

In "Media Career Guide" (pg. 73) the author recommends a website called www.videography.com. This website features an interactive forum, news, and blogs from freelance videographers and corporate entrepreneurs alike. I find this website interesting, as it reveals a growing and changing industry. Technology is growing fast, and finding ways to keep a balance between the creator and the consumer is a tough thing to do. When there is so much a person can do with extra cash in their pockets, then what can a videographer specialize in to break this trend of the self-motivated hobbyist? If you love film-making, and want to make a career out of it, videography is the first step in getting your feet wet.

What appeals to me about videography is that I can use my film-making abilities to create movies that appeal to certain markets or individuals. The sky is the limit when you have the talent to market your ability. It's a matter of getting yourself networked into the world in ways such as establishing a video-blog or writing editorials. Whether filming a wedding, anniversary, or a documentary, a certain amount of aesthetic vision is required to be able to direct a film. It's not just about knowing the technology, it's about honing your ability to create visually and moving works of art. There is an amount of artistic talent and creative ability that is required for a videographer. Or else, you won't be very good and people won't pay you well if you can't film professionally. Knowing final cut pro, and even some animation is very important.

"Video creation is sometimes a singular business, but video producers are a social lot." This quote from the videomaker article is true of our film-making world. Without the skills necessary to socialize, network, and be charismatic, a videographer will meet incredible challenges advancing his or her career.

In reading videomaker.com's article on Alex Nolen (http://www.videomaker.com/article/14999/) I learned that you can always start simple and work your way up to doing bigger things. Alex Nolen's profile demonstrates a passionate artist with basic film knowledge. I also use Pinnacle Studio as well as have knowledge with using Sony cameras.

This is the profile that I found on the website:

Name: Alex Nolen
Cameras: Panasonic PV-GS80
Computer: Intel-based workstation, Mac mini for multitrack sound recording
Editing Platform: Pinnacle Studios 12
Microphones: Sony UWP-V1, Sennheiser ME66, Shure SM58
Support Gear: tripod, green screen, camera lights

Alex Nolen has dedicated his talent to producing low budget films, with the hopes of reaching his goal as an aspiring film maker. So far he has gotten his feet wet, and I believe he is well on his way to a truly solid career in the business:  

"For pure enjoyment, I documented my trip on a cruise to the Caribbean and created a documentary of the fabulous trip. Recently, I was asked to film a huge praise and worship conference at Corpus Christi Parish in Lansdale, PA with my father.
I feel that I am "on my way" and with technology advancing rapidly in the film business, I hope as my future starts to unfold that I will create some remarkable films to come." Alex Nolen

 Not only is it fun to make movies, and to express human life through film-making, but videography is a growing industry. With all the events that happen world-wide, we need better photo-journalists, videographers, and film makers who have the talent to meet the public's needs in production.I feel that I am also on my way to bigger things, and that with more work in learning the technique and theory behind film and media studies, I will become a better artist and have a solid career.

works cited:
"Media Career Guide" by James Seguin & Sherri Hope Culver
www.videography.com
www.videomaker.com

http://www.videomaker.com/article/14999/

The Way Media Influences Culture

The way we communicate has changed rapidly ever since the internet became wide-spread technology. Not only has the internet made communication and public learning easier, but now there are tools at the hands of the people that can create mass change around the world. The wikileaks digitized revolution began with the release of top secret cables through an anonymized whistelblower site for journalists: wikieleaks. 

What Bradley Manning did, may have been illegal, but so many things that are illegal are also wrong in the moral sense. Should the government keep so many secrets from the public? These debates can be discussed on internet forums, through news shows on youtube or democracynow. The internet has made journalism more accessible to people around the world. People can blog about all sorts of things and upload them to the masses through the internet. Self publishing has become a possibility and can be useful if through successful networking. I feel the internet is really amazing in the way it has connected and shaped communication of individuals. People communicate more, I think, in a fundamental way. But with so many resources out there, it is also easy to get lost and become selective in what we choose to listen to or read about. Still, the information is out there and hard to ignore.

Social networking makes it easier to see what the mass of people think on an issue, ratings and hits prove what people are listening to. The revolution in Egypt may have had something to do with the revolution in Tunisia after the cables were released. This information being public is a valuable resource as long as the public keeps high moral. One issue I see with so much power in the hands of people, is that large numbers may agree with something but that doesn't always mean it is just or even constitutional. That's where the internet is almost like a media revolution.

There is no U.S. censorship and so we have free reign on what we would like to communicate...and this is good in my opinion. I envision technology in the future (which I think is in progress), a hybrid of camera and ipad, where people can submit articles with pictures and upload them instantly over 3G. I think journalism tools are the way of the future, and better technology in the hands of the masses would be a great way to continue the media revolution. But I also think it scares governments, because in large numbers people hold the power to overthrow corrupt governments and voice what truly matters to them. Overall, the internet has shaped the way we view the world. It has helped us create a voice that is heard by thousands. The politics of internet information are extremely crucial to our generation. I support non-censorship and free public communication, as it was intended...I believe the internet needs its own constitution.